Report – David Ornstein issues update on reported West Ham pursuit of 20y/o
West Ham will know that this transfer window could come to define the rest of their season.
After a disastrous first half of the campaign they have been left fighting a relegation battle that few would have predicted at the start of the term, and that ultimately cost Manuel Pellegrini his job in east London.
Now David Moyes it at the helm, and it will be interesting to see the extent to which the board are willing to back him in the first window of his second spell at the club.
One name that has been bandied about as a potential recruit is that of Benfica starlet Gedson Fernandes, as per Sky Sports.
But according to a report from The Athletic journalist David Ornstein on Monday, the Hammers could be in danger of losing out on the 20-year-old to Premier League rivals Everton.
Writing in his column, Ornstein said: “Everton have stolen a march on West Ham in the race to sign the highly-rated Portugal under-21 midfielder Gedson Fernandes, sources have told The Athletic.
“No agreement is yet in place with Carlo Ancelotti’s side but conversations are ongoing about a potential 18-month loan with a £34 million option for the 20-year-old, who has struggled for regular game time recently at Benfica.”
And let’s be honest, this doesn’t sound good at all.
West Ham have made a habit of missing out on players down the years, and at this present moment in time, there’s not reason to believe that this will be any different.
Fernandes is a precocious talent, and even though he is struggling for game time in Portugal at the moment, there’s no denying his potential.
The wide man is averaging 2.8 shots and 1.3 successful dribbles per 90 minutes at the moment, as per Whoscored, despite barely getting on the pitch.
Given enough of a chance and some patience, it’s not unimaginable that he could skyrocket over the next couple of seasons, and it would be typical of the Hammers to have to watch him do it for another English club.
In other news, Report – West Ham launch bid for 53-cap int’l, asking price determined.